Rec Room: Play with Friends
- August 31, 2019
- Rec Room
- 800h median play time
"Rec Room: Play with Friends" is a free simulation game, playable on various devices, that allows you to build and play games with friends around the world. The game features customizable avatars, a wide range of player-created rooms, and a Maker Pen tool for building new content. It boasts of a fun and welcoming community and is compatible with iOS devices such as iPhone 7 Plus, 8 Plus, iPhone X and newer, and certain iPad models. However, the game may have bugs and is not specified to have a single-player mode or an intriguing story, but focuses on social interaction and creative gameplay.
Reviews
- stability308 mentions
- 2 % positive mentions
- 1 % neutral mentions
- 96 % negative mentions
The stability of the game has been widely criticized, with numerous users reporting frequent glitches, crashes, and freezing issues across various platforms, particularly on mobile devices. Many players experience audio problems, such as sound cutting out or becoming choppy, and some have noted that the game often fails to load properly or sends them back to their dorms unexpectedly. While some users have had positive experiences with minimal issues, the overall consensus indicates that significant improvements are needed to enhance stability and reduce the frequency of bugs.
“Works perfectly fine with almost no glitches at all, had an anti-cheat and a large player base.”
“No lags, no glitches, no problems.”
“I love this game; it's not buggy. I don't know why it's not buggy, but I'm grateful, and that's why I love this game.”
“Fun but too many crashes and weird bugs on several platforms renders it largely unusable despite exhaustive troubleshooting.”
“One is when the game randomly freezes, this has happened to me on Xbox, PlayStation, VR, and mobile and it's really annoying if I'm in the middle of a quest game or something like the backrooms where it won't save.”
“Absolutely loaded with bugs and glitches, makes some of the games unplayable.”
- graphics254 mentions
- 48 % positive mentions
- 47 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed feedback from users, with many praising their quality and detail, especially on higher-end devices. However, numerous players report significant lag and performance issues, even on low graphics settings, indicating a need for better optimization across various devices. Additionally, there are requests for more customizable graphics options to enhance the gaming experience.
“The graphics are amazing, the community is safe and friendly, there are so many games to play online and with your friends, and overall I really enjoyed this game and I'm sure you will too!”
“I love the graphics and the game.”
“The graphics are perfect; it's just like carrying a VR experience everywhere.”
“The graphics are borderline passable now, but the game is at least playable.”
“I'm sorry but the lowest quality graphics are still way too high, game is unplayable because it won't stop freezing up because of the graphics and frame rate and rooms take 5 years to load.”
“It's a fun game but the graphics are bad and the characters look so bad and you can move your slow avatar, wasted lots of battery so never play this game.”
- monetization171 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 57 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game is largely praised for its absence of ads, which many users appreciate as it enhances the overall experience. However, there are mentions of in-app purchases, particularly for packs and customization options, which some players find expensive. Overall, the game is seen as a refreshing alternative to ad-saturated titles, though some users express frustration with the ads they encounter in promotional content rather than within the game itself.
“I love how there's no ads and I love how you can basically do anything you want to do.”
“This game is amazing; it has no ads at all and everything about it is really fun, highly recommended.”
“I highly recommend this game, no ads at all, the graphics are good and there's a lot of games you can play!”
“It's good on VR but on mobile it's trash and don't get me started on the ads; they put ads of franchises they don't own, so this game and the ads are bad.”
“I rate it one star because it annoyed me with ads while playing another game, and it made lag and crashed some games. There's really no voice chat around the world in the game; the ad says that you can hear only because they're friends, but no other people can voice chat when you're friends.”
“It's a good game but I would like a set of games that says 'in ads' of the games that were in the advertisements.”
- story135 mentions
- 32 % positive mentions
- 64 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The story aspect of the game is generally perceived as lacking depth, with many players noting that it primarily serves as a platform for social interaction and mini-games rather than a traditional narrative experience. While some quests offer engaging challenges and mechanics, players express a desire for more structured storylines and seasonal updates to enhance the overall experience. Overall, the game is enjoyed for its multiplayer elements and creative opportunities, but it falls short in delivering a compelling narrative.
“I love the story of how it works in a way to make the world feel like it has become the first of its new features in this series.”
“This is an amazing app; I get to have friends and the story is super cool.”
“I really like the game because it has some storylines and I like it.”
“I haven't played this game long, probably about an hour. I also played it in VR on Oculus; it's not a very good game in my opinion. It's a rip-off of VR Chat. It's cool that they have a mobile version, but the game is still boring. I tried to play a story-based game in it and ended up getting stuck inside of a tree after the story stopped progressing for some random reason. This game being on mobile is way harder to control than it is in VR; the navigation of worlds is also outrageous.”
“The ads don't lie; based on what happens in the game, there's no storyline to it. It's just a free play game where you get to play games on Rec Room made by players just like you, and you can also play some games made exactly by the company, aka Coach (you'll learn who Coach is when you play the game).”
“It's a good game, but I wish they added a VR feature for mobile or Android so I don't have to spend $300 on an Oculus Quest just to play Rec Room.”
- humor64 mentions
- 98 % positive mentions
- -3 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely appreciated, with players enjoying funny interactions, glitches, and the ability to create amusing moments with friends. Many reviews highlight the game's comedic elements, such as funny sound effects and character behaviors, contributing to a lighthearted and entertaining experience. Overall, the game fosters a fun environment where players can share laughs and create memorable moments together.
“It's an amazing app to learn about other people and make friends. Even if there is a lot of swearing and hate on Rec Room, it's funny.”
“I love playing with my friends, especially funny kitty.”
“It was amazing playing this game; seeing my character with no arms but having hands made me laugh my butt off!”
“The humor in this game falls flat; it feels forced and unoriginal.”
“I expected some laughs, but the jokes are stale and not well executed.”
“The attempts at humor are cringeworthy and detract from the overall experience.”
- gameplay59 mentions
- 59 % positive mentions
- 34 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
Gameplay reviews highlight a mix of positive and negative experiences. Many players appreciate the game's mechanics, graphics, and the fun of multiplayer interactions, particularly on consoles, while others report issues such as lag, freezing, and control difficulties, especially on mobile devices. Overall, while the gameplay is engaging and offers unique features, technical problems and bugs detract from the experience for some users.
“The gameplay is interesting, and with those role play and other elements, this game is awesome.”
“I rate this 10 out of 10; the gameplay is awesome, and you can control your hands with simple controls. The tutorial is really helpful and entertaining. Well done!”
“The quality and gameplay are so good, and the games are top of the line!”
“The gameplay is a little bit laggy but still playable and enjoyable to play.”
“However, I have to give it such a low rating due to controls and game mechanics, followed by bugs.”
“Gameplay is terrible and the app doesn't even work; it's glitchy, buggy, and overall terrible.”
- optimization56 mentions
- 41 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 16 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with many users reporting significant lag and performance issues, particularly on mobile devices. While some players experience smooth gameplay on newer devices, others struggle with low frame rates and stuttering, even at lower graphics settings. There is a consensus that the game requires substantial optimization improvements to enhance performance across a wider range of devices.
“Then the user can slide each one individually to see which one impacts their device and optimize the balance between graphics quality and performance.”
“It's pretty well optimized for Android; I don't even have the newest ones and it's running amazing, great game!!”
“And it's not like a watered-down mobile game from other platforms; it's actually an amazing game with great FPS and optimization. I totally recommend trying this game!”
“Controls were off and it was just stuttering every minute.”
“Even with all that aside, the game's optimization is still far too poor for mobile and needs improvement.”
“Concept is good but the optimization of the game is horrible ... there is so much lag even on the lowest graphic setting.”
- music42 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 74 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally appreciated for its fun and engaging nature, but many users report significant issues with audio glitches, such as music cutting out, lagging, or repeating unexpectedly. Additionally, players express frustration over the inability to hear music or other players' voices due to these glitches, which detracts from the overall experience. Some users also mention concerns about being banned for playing music through their microphones, further complicating the enjoyment of the game's audio features.
“The game is fun and amazing, but the music and mic issues can be frustrating.”
“I love Rec Room! Sometimes it lags or I can't hear the music, but I give this game 5 stars.”
“It is a very fun game, and all the rooms you can explore are great. The magic room is personally my favorite; it has a basketball and a music room, so it is an amazing game!”
“Rec Room is a really good game, nice people, nice games and stuff, but I just have a problem: whenever I join a public room/rec center, the audio cuts off and I'm unable to hear anyone or the music in the rooms. If that is a bug or a glitch, please fix it :)”
“The game is good, but I have one problem with it: whenever I play a different game, the music stops and I can't hear anything.”
“Now you can get banned for playing music. I was playing music on my account and suddenly I got kicked. I thought I got booted, but I did it again and then I got permanently banned. Who decided to remove the boombox and have recording? If you play music, you get permanently banned. Even EA doesn't do that. I'm not going to play this game ever again; in fact, I'm going to promote not playing the game. Don't download it; it has horrible people anyway.”
- emotional15 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players express a strong emotional connection to the game, highlighting its heartwarming community and immersive experiences. However, frustrations arise from technical issues, such as glitches and bans, which can lead to feelings of anger and sadness. Overall, while the game fosters positive emotions and friendships, players desire improvements to enhance their experience.
“I've been in Rec Room since and it's the greatest game ever. I have seen heartwarming friends.”
“Overall, very wholesome game and very immersive!”
“I've never been part of a community so wholesome.”
- grinding3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, particularly due to frequent loading screens and the challenges posed by toxic players. Despite the frustrations, some users express a strong attachment to their progress and items earned through grinding, highlighting the emotional investment in their accounts.
“An absolute grinding game.”
“It's kind of tedious having to wait repeatedly for loading screens to finish up.”
“I lost both of my accounts because people falsely reported me for being too young, and I got so annoyed. I worked hard for those items grinding in the paddle ball.”
- character development3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
Players appreciate the character design and the variety of experiences offered in the game, highlighting the engaging scenery and diverse interactions. However, there are calls for improved moderation and more options for character customization to enhance the overall development experience.
“I love this so much! The scenery in the game, the players, the character design—everything! I hope you make more awesome updates in the future. ^_^”
“It is great! There are so many things to do and people all over the place, providing a different experience every day. I love the character design.”
“Just needs some better moderation and more room for character design.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its creativity and engaging environments, enhanced by good customization and gameplay. Players appreciate the diverse and interesting worlds and plots that contribute to an overall immersive experience.
“Firstly, there's a great creativity around, amazing players, and an overall great atmosphere.”
“It's good, with great customization, gameplay, atmosphere, logic, and different and interesting worlds and plots.”